Crane



June 11, 1946. J sc 2,401,881

' CRANE Filed Jui 7, 1944 JOSEPH D. PETSCHE 3 BY w v v {M A TTOIPNE'YS v Patented June 11,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CRANE Joseph D. Petsche, Cleveland, Ohio Application July 7, 1944, Serial No. 543,877

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates broadly to portable cranes and more specifically to mechanism for lifting and carrying heavy, bulky loads, such as machine tools, from place to place within buildings, erection yards or similar environs.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a hoist supporting frame or crane having base members thereon of adequate width to assure the stability of the structure but which are constructed for pivotal adjustment to facilitate the manipulation of the crane while negotiating narrow doorways, aisles, or passageways having obstructions thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hoist supporting frame which may be vertically adjusted to accommodate loads of various height.

Another object of the invention is to construct a carrying frame which may be moved to span the load prior the lifting operation irrespective of floor obstructions adjacent thereto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a crane in which the load may be supported to effect the equal distribution of weight; in direct thrust, upon the wheels or casters provided in the base members.

Further objects reside in a crane which is economic of manufacture, sturdy of structure and fiisceptible of ready adjustment and manipula- Other objects and advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing and the manner in which all the various objects are realized will appear in the following description, which considered in connection with the accompanying drawing,

sets forth the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawing wherein the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the improved crane, a portion thereof being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of one of the side members of the frame structure, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fi and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the caster locking mechanism.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the crane structure embodies a pair of base members! preferably of braced against lateral movement by tubes l3 welded or otherwise amxed to the face of the column and opposed ends of the beams. The upper portion of the columns I2 is enveloped by tubular sleeves I4 united at their upper ends by a cross member l5 reinforced against angular movement by tubular braces l6 welded or otherwise aflixed upon the inner faces of the sleeves and cross member. The tubes l2 are formed with apertures ll therein disposed in equi-spaced relation and are further formed with cross drilled holes I8 for the reception of pins IQ for the support of bearing sleeves or collars 20 carried by the tubes I2 and thrust bearing collars 2| mounted on the end portions of the columns M. An anti-friction bearing element 29 is interposed between the collars 20 and 2|.

The cross member I5 is provided with a bracket 22 preferably formed for telescopic engagement with the outer walls of the beam and anchored thereon for longitudinal adjustment by a pin 23 adapted for engagement with openings 24 disposed in spaced relation throughout a portion of the length of the beam. The bracket is provided for the support of a chain fall (not shown) or other type of hoist for lifting the work load. By moving the bracket longitudinally along the beam adjustments may be made which will facilitate the suspension of the hoist and/or the work in the plane of the center of gravity thereof.

In the maintenance of large machine shops it is frequently desirable to transfer a machine from one department or line to another or move the machine to the tool room for purposes of repair. Frequently, however, it is impossible to cart the machine from the room or department within which it Was originally placed since the now existing cranes or other moving equipment are of too great a width to pass through the restricted passageways, aisles or narrow doorways. The present invention is designed to overcome the foregoing objection since in such environs the pin I9 in the thrust bearing 2| may be removed, the base swiveled to clear the floor obstruction or restricted passageway, the end of the crane advanced, then the base may be readjusted to a position at right angles to the cross member 22 and the second base or rail l0 similarly manipulated. Likewise when the frame is moved into position to straddle a machine or other load floor obstructions may be avoided by adjustment of the base members through such angle as may be necessary and after the load is elevated from the floor the base rail may beagain adjusted to assure 3 the stability of the frame before the crane is moved.

The upper portion of the frame, that is the sleeves I4 and cross beam I! may be vertically adjusted by removing the pins IS in the columns l2, lifting the assembly to the proper height then reinserting the pin in the suitable opening. As shown in Fig. 4, the casters I I may be locked by adjustment of the brake shoe 25 which is designed to impinge the caster wheel 26 upon actuation of a screw associated therewith. The caster may be locked against pivotal movement by adjustment of the screw 21 which is designed to lock the swivel bearing plate 28 thereof into engagement with the lower face of the base l0.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of a detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, it is to be understood that the specific terminology is not intended to be restrictive or confining, and that various rearrangements of parts and modiflcations of detail may be resorted to without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as herein claimed.

I claim:

A hoist carrying frame for transportin machinery comprising a pair of rails, casters on the ends thereof, a vertical column on each of said rails intermediate the ends thereof, a sleeve tel- 4 escopically engaged with each of said columns, said sleeves having diametric holes adjacent the lower ends thereof, a top rail uniting the upper ends of said sleeves, the length of the firstnamed rails being substantially equal to the distance between the columns, each column having a series of equi-spaced diametric holes therein and a second series of equi-spaced diametric holes disposed in common horizontal planes but at right anglesto the first-named series of holes, bearing collars mounted for sliding movement on each column, said collars having diametric holes therein, pins engaged in the holes in said collars and certain of the holes in said columns, hearing collars mounted on the lower ends of said sleeves, anti-friction bearing elements between the collars on the sleeves and the collars on the columns, the collars on the sleeves having diametric holes therein aligned with the holes in the sleeves, the distance between the holes in the contiguous collar being equal to the vertical distance between the holes in the columns when the collars are disposed in abutting relation with the anti-friction bearing elements, and pins engaged in the holes in the collars on the sleeves and with certain of the continguous diametric holes in the columns.

JOSEPH D. PETSCHE. 

